


like a baby deer

by mustardbastard



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Adult Edward Elric, Dates, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Ice Skating, M/M, RoyEd Free-For-All Daily Challenge, sort of ig
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 16:23:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19113382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mustardbastard/pseuds/mustardbastard
Summary: or the one in which roy both regrets and doesn't regret his life choices





	like a baby deer

**Author's Note:**

> written for the 6/6 daily writing challenge prompt: ice skating  
> ...  
> ironically in june while im dying of heat. lmao
> 
> very very loosely based upon my first (not)date with my (not quite yet)at-the-time boyfriend from my freshman year of high school. he fucking sucked at ice skating LOL
> 
> no capitals bc uhhh i typed it on my phone and im lazy. sorry [shrugs]

"come on, colonel bastard. i thought you said that this would be 'easy'?"

 

the sound of edward's laughter is carefree and jubilant, any mockery only from the fact that roy is being forced to eat his own words currently. it's―well, it's not delicate enough to describe it as the sound of angels, too loud and unrestrained for such a notion, but it's one of the sweetest sounds roy's ever heard anyway.

 

if only it weren't at his expense.

 

roy grits his teeth, concentrating _very hard_ yet still struggling not to fall, legs wobbling beneath him. "yes, well, i do have to admit that i can't be right all the time, edward. i am only human."

 

ed snorts. "whatever you need to say to make yourself feel better, mustang. ya ready to admit that you need help yet?"

 

roy's pride flares inside of him, indignant. as if he needs help with something that should be quite _simple_. it screams at him, yelling 'NO', the immediate urge to deny it blaring like a deafening red-lit alarm in his brain. but on the other hand, the idea of edward helping him, holding his hands and guiding him, staying close, but not _too_ close, is a tempting idea indeed.

 

but roy is a stubborn man, and so alas, his pride wins this round. which will prove to be his downfall.

 

"i may yet get the hang of this, edward, so no need to rush to my aid. this really is a quite simple concept, i just seem to be having some… difficulties with the mechanics."

 

roy inwardly curses himself―why did he think this would be a good idea again? whoever said that ice would be the one form of water that wouldn't make roy useless should be _shot._ but then he remembers the wistful tone edward had when speaking of childhood winters spent in resembool, of ice-skating on the frozen pond with his brother alphonse and miss rockbell; remembers the way ed's face had lit up when roy had mentioned that there was an indoor ice skating rink in downtown central and would ed like to go? and then he's not so inclined to regret coming here, if it means he gets to see edward happy.

 

_dammit,_ though, barely being able to stay upright on the ice is particularly vexing. especially when edward is so skilled at it, quite literally skating circles around roy, graceful and elegant―practically _gliding_ on the ice. at least roy's managed to not fall, though, so that's something at least. small mercies and all.

 

but apparently roy's luck has run out and he's jinxed himself.

 

one minute he's vertical, slowly inching his way across the ice, _refusing_ to hold onto the wall―his dignity would never allow him that, not when the only other people using the wall for assistance are _children_ ―wobbling, but upright. the next, however, he's tripping on a scratch in the ice, blade getting caught in the groove, and his arms pinwheel at his sides while his legs go all over and then _oof._ he's flat on his ass on the ice. which is _freezing_.

 

dammit.

 

pride injured more than the bruises roy's sure to have on his tailbone later, he sits up and sighs. ed skates over to him, stopping in front of roy with a whoosh and a turn.

 

"fuck, you dumbass, you could've hurt yourself." it sounds like an admonishment, a scolding that should serve to only bruise roy's ego further, but he knows that it's just ed's characteristic way of showing concern. once ascertaining that roy is free of broken bones, ed sighs―in relief? exasperation? roy can't quite tell, and knowing ed, it’s probably both―and puts his hands on his hips. "okay, come on. get up, you big dork, we're in the way of other skaters."

 

roy purses his lips. "i think for that matter, as much as it pains me to admit, i may need your assistance." because like hell is roy going to be able to get up on the ice on his own. he really hates ice skating.

 

ed rolls his eyes, muttering someones about how roy "should've just asked for it in the first place" and holds out his hands, crouching over.

 

roy grabs them, fingers numb from the cold, and between the two of them, with more than a little bit of struggle―at least, on roy's end―and his legs still trying to flail on the ice, they get him upright. evidently, not _steadily_ upright, though, because roy is stumbling again and falling forward into ed, face landing in his chest.

 

he sighs and says lowly into ed's shirt, "the next time i say something looks easy and don't listen to you, please shoot me. put me out of the misery of my own making."

 

ed snorts again, and pushes roy the rest of the way upright, off of his chest and standing so he's once again taller than the blond. "yeah, yeah, you melodramatic baby. get me that in writing."

 

when roy looks at ed's face, his eyes are shining with mirth and he's biting his lip to hold back laughter.

 

"oh go on, get your amusement over with."

 

a quiet snicker escapes ed's mouth, and then another, mixed with a snort, and he's laughing full-heartedly. "oh _fuck,_ roy. you looked like a baby deer its first time on ice, with your limbs flailing all over the goddamn place."

 

roy swears he's not pouting, but it's a near thing. "surely i wasn't _that_ bad."

 

ed pats a hand on roy's chest. "nah, you were worse. and the deer were cuter."

 

okay, now roy is _definitely_ pouting. _rude._

 

he sniffs, but otherwise doesn't get a chance to respond, because ed is scooching closer to him, taking roy's hands. "come on, let me show you how it's done." and with ed looking at him like that, so fondly and a soft smile gracing his lips, roy doesn't have the power in him to say no. not that he can deny edward anything ever, really.

 

"lead the way," roy says.

 

ed starts to skate backwards, pulling roy along by his hands, going slow so that roy won't fall.

 

"'kay, so the first thing is..."

 

call him a sap, lord knows ed would, but roy thinks that maybe ice skating has a chance of growing on him after all.

**Author's Note:**

> probably my last reminder abt sacanime bc it starts tmrw (6/7)!!  
> if ur there, pls scream fma w/ me kjfgkjgf  
> ig is @ hakvryv for face-ref
> 
> anyway, hope u enjoyed! kudos/comments are always appreciated <33


End file.
